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01.10.2011 at 15:00 Rookery Hill Attendance : 181
East Thurrock United
3 - 3
St Albans City
Referee : Ian Bentley (West Wickham) FA Cup / Second Round Qualifying

Goalscorers
Kris Newby (9)
Petri Elbi (45)
Kye Ruel (52)
Tobi Jinadu (15)
Barrie Matthews (pen.) (36)
Rob Haworth (45)
Opening squads
Richard Wray
Alan Mabuyaku
Tom Stephens
Ben Wood
Simon Pedie
Michael Ramkin
Kris Newby
Kye Ruel
Petri Elbi
Reiss Gilbey
Sam Collins
Nick Jupp
Ryan Watts
Nathnael Ralph
Barrie Matthews
Ryan Moran
Tobi Jinadu
David Ijaha
Sean Shields
Jerome Walker
Rob Haworth
Ross Dedman
Substitutes
Jake Cass
Ryan Sammons
Stanley Muiguo
Greg Cohen
Jamie Riley
Sam Higgins
Will Viner
Matt Cutchey
Solomon Shields
Sakho Bakare
Joackim Ehui
Nathan Haisley
James Bent
Substitutions
Ryan Sammons -> Alan Mabuyaku (64)
Sam Higgins -> Petri Elbi (69)
Greg Cohen -> Sam Collins (85)
Sakho Bakare -> Rob Haworth (88)
Yellow cards
None Ryan Moran (90)
Red cards
None None.
Match report
Record October temperatures were raised even higher at Rookery Hill on Saturday as St Albans City and East Thurrock United fought out a fluctuating FA Cup 2nd Round qualifying tie in deepest Essex before settling on a 3-3 draw and a second encounter at Clarence Park on Tuesday.

City, utterly woeful for the opening 15 minutes, seized the initiative to lead 3-1 before the Rocks salvaged a merited draw.

For City’s first visit to the home of the Isthmian League Premier Division side manager David Howell made two changes from the side defeated at Stourbridge a week earlier. Out went midfielder Rob Magwood and striker Ben Seymour-Shove and in came Ross Dedman, at right back, and winger Sean Shields.

For the second successive match City could easily have been a goal down inside 40 seconds but escaped courtesy of over indulgence on the part of the home side.

Petrit Elbi found space down the United right and crossed low to Reiss Gilbey who took a touch too long over his shot and allowed City keeper Nick Jupp to block. The ball rebounded to Rocks winger Sam Collins whose effort to find the far top corner ended with the ball drifting wide of the goal.

East Thurrock dominated the early exchanges and shortly after Kye Ruel fired wide the Rocks took the lead on nine minutes.

City appealed in vain for a goalkick as Elbi struggled to keep the ball in play before laying it back to Kris Newby. With what appeared to be an in-swinging cross from the Thurrock right the midfielder curled the ball from close to the touchline, over Jupp, and just inside the back post as the keeper stood motionless.

The home side continued to dominate when St Albans plundered a surprise equaliser on 15 minutes.

A City corner, taken by Barrie Matthews, was headed clear but collected by Dedman who played a short pass to David Ijaha. The City skipper curled a delightful cross beyond the outrushing defenders and towards the back post where Tobi Jinadu strolled forward to plant a fine header high to the left of keeper Richard Wray.

Despite the goal City still struggled to find any rhythm and were grateful to see Kye Ruel plant a needlessly rushed shot wide.

At times City’s defending during the opening half was simply dreadful but Dedman made amends for some misplaced passes with a crucial headed clearance as Elbi looked set to pounce on Newby’s cross.

Referee Ian Bentley allowed the players a drinks break in the searing heat and it was City who used the two minute break to best advantage as within seconds of the restart they won a penalty when Rocks keeper Wray hauled down Jerome Walker following Haworth’s knock on.

Wray jigged a couple of times as Matthews stepped up to take the spot kick but as the keeper fell to his left Matthews simply chipped the ball straight down the middle to put City ahead on 36 minutes.

As the game moved into added time St Albans struck for a third and seemingly conclusive time.

A move down the left flank saw Walker touch the ball across the penalty area to Rob Haworth. The experienced striker had the sting taken out of his shot from close range by Wray but despite this, and the best efforts of defender Tom Stephens from right under the crossbar, City secured a 3-1 lead.

But with half time on their minds City were caught napping and during the two minutes of added time East Thurrock breathed new life back into the game.

Collins played a short pass inside the penalty area to Elbi who turned the ball to Ruel and spun away to collect the return and drive his second FA Cup goal of the season through the legs of the diving Jupp.

That late goal should have warned the Saints against complacency but within seven minutes of the restart lax defending allowed Ruel ample time to collect Elbi’s flick following a Michael Ramkin throw-in and virtually toe-poke wide of the bemused Jupp.

Wray pulled off a flying save to his right to deny Ijaha while Gilbey lost a good chance to put United in front when heading over following Alan Mabayuku’s excellent cross from the right.

But, as with the opening 45 minutes, it was the Southern League Saints who gradually gained the upper hand, at least territorially.

Haworth fired wide following good work by Walker and then Matthews, with a header, forced Wray into an excellent save from another Walker cross.

Walker was thwarted himself when his back post header from a Shields corner was blocked by the combined efforts of Wray ad Ruel.

Midway through the half Walker seized upon a ball down the left by Nathan Ralph but was denied a goal due to Wray pulling off a superb save by the foot of his right-hand upright.

A fourth City goal began to look increasing likely but the woodwork came to United rescue when Shields tried his luck from 20 yards after Wray had punched clear under pressure from Walker.

Eight minutes from time Jupp did well to push away a rising effort from substitute Sam Higgins but City had a narrow escape when Ruel, following up, stabbed the falling ball wide of the target.

With that miss East Thurrock’s chances of victory faded while City squandered an even better opening when, from Walker’s deep cross, Haworth lunged forward at the back post only to send an unusual poor header comfortably wide.

City had one final anxious moment when Ruel threatened to break clear only to be hauled down by Ryan Moran who duly earned the only yellow card of the day.